Apparatus and method for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material

Abstract

An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a device material includes a holder for chucking and holding a silicon ball, a spherical reticle on which a hologram of a circuit pattern to be exposed is formed, a light source, a focusing optical system for focusing light emitted by the light source on a first position, and an elliptic mirror having a first focal point at the first position and a second focal point at the central position of the silicon ball (reticle). The center of the reticle coincides with the center of the silicon ball.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a device material, comprising: a device material holding portion for holding a ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for exposing the pattern on at least a half region of an entire surface of said ball-like device material at once, wherein said exposure portion comprises: a light source;   a focusing optical system for focusing light emitted by said light source on a first position; and   an elliptic mirror having a first focal point at the first position, and a second focal point at a central position of said device material when said ball-like device material is held at a proper position by said device material holding portion.     
     
     
       2. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a device material, comprising: a device material holding portion for holding a ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for exposing the pattern on at least a half region of an entire surface of said ball-like device material at once,   wherein said exposure portion comprises: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle, said reticle having a hologram recorded thereon for forming a pattern to be exposed on said ball-like device material, and exposes the pattern on said ball-like device material using a reproduced pattern of the hologram;   a light source;   a focusing optical system for focusing light emitted by said light source on a first position; and   an elliptic mirror having a first focal point at the first position, and a second focal point at a central position of said device material when said ball-like device material is held at a proper position by said device material holding portion.     
     
     
       3. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a device material, comprising: a device material holding portion for holding a ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for exposing the pattern on at least a half region of an entire surface of said ball-like device material at once,   wherein said exposure portion comprises a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle, said reticle having a hologram recorded thereon for forming a pattern to be exposed on said ball-like device material, and exposes the pattern on said ball-like device material using a reproduced pattern of the hologram,   wherein the hologram includes: a first hologram for exposing a band-like region of a surface of said ball-like device material; and   a second hologram for exposing a circular region of the surface of said ball-like device material on an optical system side.     
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said exposure portion comprises: a first illumination system for illuminating the first hologram; and   a second illumination system for illuminating the second hologram.   
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first illumination system comprises: a light source;   a focusing optical system for focusing light emitted by said light source on a first position; and   an elliptic mirror having a first focal point at the first position and a second focal point at a central position of said device material when said ball-like device material is held at a proper position by said device material holding portion.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said focusing optical system constituting said first illumination system has a portion for passing through light emitted by said light source as a substantially parallel light beam, and said portion and said light source constitute said second illumination system. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said portion for passing through light emitted by said light source as a substantially parallel light beam is an opening portion. 
     
     
       8. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a device material, comprising: a device material holding portion for holding a ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for exposing the pattern on at least a half region of an entire surface of said ball-like device material at once,   wherein said device material holding portion comprises a tee for chucking and holding said ball-like device.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said device material holding portion comprises a chuck for holding a holder having at least one tee. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said holder has an alignment reference mark. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a position detector for detecting a position of the reference mark. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said ball-like device material has an alignment reference mark. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a position detector for detecting a position of the reference mark. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said holder and said ball-like device material have alignment reference marks, respectively. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the reference mark of said holder is formed in correspondence with each tee. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: a memory for storing information representing a positional relationship between the reference mark of said holder and the reference mark of said ball-like device material held by said tee;   a position detecting portion for detecting a position of the reference mark of said holder; and   a driving portion for adjusting a position of said holder, and   wherein said driving portion adjusts the position of said holder on the basis of the information stored in said memory and a detection result obtained by said detecting portion, and aligns said ball-like device material held by said holder to a proper position.   
     
     
       17. A method of aligning a ball-like device material, comprising: the holding step of holding at least one ball-like device material by a holding portion;   the first detecting step of detecting a positional relationship between said ball-like device material and said holding portion;   the mounting step of mounting said holding portion on an exposure apparatus;   the second detecting step of detecting a position of said holding portion; and   the aligning step of adjusting the position of said holding portion on the basis of detection results in the first and second detecting steps, and aligning said ball-like device held by said holding portion to a proper position.   
     
     
       18. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material, comprising: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle having a kinoform recorded thereon for forming a pattern;   a device material holding portion for holding said ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for reproducing the pattern of the kinoform by using light emitted from an excimer laser and exposing the pattern on said ball-like device material,   wherein said exposure portion exposes, through a parabolic mirror, a backside portion of a surface of said ball-like device material when viewed from said reticle.   
     
     
       19. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material, comprising: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle having a kinoform recorded thereon for forming a pattern;   a device material holding portion for holding said ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for reproducing the pattern of the kinoform by using light emitted from an excimer laser and exposing the pattern on said ball-like device material,   wherein said exposure portion exposes, through an elliptic mirror, a backside portion of a surface of said ball-like device material when viewed from said reticle.   
     
     
       20. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material, comprising: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle having a kinoform recorded thereon for forming a pattern;   a device material holding portion for holding said ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for reproducing the pattern of the kinoform by using light emitted from an excimer laser and exposing the pattern on said ball-like device material,   wherein the kinoform is formed to allow a principal ray to strike each point on a surface of said ball-like device material in exposure; and   wherein the kinoform is formed to reduce illuminance irregularity by diffracting light so as to fall outside an angle used in exposure.   
     
     
       21. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material, comprising: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle having a kinoform recorded thereon for forming a pattern;   a device material holding portion for holding said ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for reproducing the pattern of the kinoform by using light emitted from an excimer laser and exposing the pattern on said ball-like device material,   wherein the kinoform is optimized on the basis of a genetic algorithm.   
     
     
       22. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material, comprising: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle having a kinoform recorded thereon for forming a pattern;   a device material holding portion for holding said ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for reproducing the pattern of the kinoform by using light emitted from an excimer laser and exposing the pattern on said ball-like device material,   wherein the kinoform is optimized on the basis of simulated annealing.   
     
     
       23. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material, comprising: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle having a kinoform recorded thereon for forming a pattern;   a device material holding portion for holding said ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for reproducing the pattern of the kinoform by using light emitted from an excimer laser and exposing the pattern on said ball-like device material,   wherein said device material holding portion comprises a tee for chucking and holding said ball-like device material, and a chuck for holding a holder having one or a plurality of tees, and said holder has an alignment reference mark.   
     
     
       24. The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising a position detector for detecting a position of the reference mark. 
     
     
       25. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material, comprising: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle having a kinoform recorded thereon for forming a pattern;   a device material holding portion for holding said ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for reproducing the pattern of the kinoform by using light emitted from an excimer laser and exposing the pattern on said ball-like device material,   wherein said device material holding portion comprises a tee for chucking and holding said ball-like device material, and said ball-like device material has an alignment reference mark.   
     
     
       26. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a position detector for detecting a position of the reference mark. 
     
     
       27. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a ball-like device material, comprising: a reticle holding portion for holding a reticle having a kinoform recorded thereon for forming a pattern;   a device material holding portion for holding said ball-like device material; and   an exposure portion for reproducing the pattern of the kinoform by using light emitted from an excimer laser and exposing the pattern on said ball-like device material,   wherein said device material holding portion comprises a tee for chucking and holding said ball-like device material, and a chuck for holding a holder having one or a plurality of tees, and said holder and said ball-like device material have alignment reference marks, respectively.   
     
     
       28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the reference mark of said holder is formed in correspondence with each tee. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising: a memory for storing information representing a positional relationship between the reference mark of said holder and the reference mark of said ball-like device material held by said tee;   a position detecting portion for detecting a position of the reference mark of said holder; and   a driving portion for adjusting a position of said holder, and   wherein said driving portion adjusts the position of said holder on the basis of the information stored in said memory and a detection result obtained by said detecting portion, and aligns said ball-like device material held by said holder to a proper position.